Thermal management and method for large scale processing of cis and/or cigs based thin films overlying glass substrates

ABSTRACT

The thermal management and method for large scale processing of CIS and/or CIGS based thin film overlaying glass substrates. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a copper indium diselenide semiconductor film. The method includes providing a plurality of substrates, each of the substrates having a copper and indium composite structure. The method also includes transferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of the plurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respect to a direction of gravity, the plurality of substrates being defined by a number N, where N is greater than 5. The method further includes introducing a gaseous species including a selenide species and a carrier gas into the furnace and transferring thermal energy into the furnace to increase a temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperature ranging from about 350° C. to about 450° C. to at least initiate formation of a copper indium diselenide film from the copper and indium composite structure on each of the substrates.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/568,641 filed on Sep. 28, 2009, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/101,567, filed Sep. 30, 2008,entitled “THERMAL MANAGEMENT AND METHOD FOR LARGE SCALE PROCESSING OFCIS AND/OR CIGS BASED THIN FILMS OVERLYING GLASS SUBSTRATES”, thedisclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to photovoltaic techniques. Moreparticularly, the present invention provides a method and structure fora thin film photovoltaic device using a copper indium diselenide species(CIS), copper indium gallium diselenide species (CIGS), and/or others.The invention can be applied to photovoltaic modules, flexible sheets,building or window glass, automotive, and others.

In the process of manufacturing CIS and/or CIGS types of thin films,there are various manufacturing challenges, such as maintainingstructure integrity of substrate materials, ensuring uniformity andgranularity of the thin film material, etc. While conventionaltechniques in the past have addressed some of these issues, they areoften inadequate in various situations. Therefore, it is desirable tohave improved systems and method for manufacturing thin filmphotovoltaic devices.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to photovoltaic techniques. Moreparticularly, the present invention provides a method and structure fora thin film photovoltaic device using a copper indium diselenide species(CIS), copper indium gallium diselenide species (CIGS), and/or others.The invention can be applied to photovoltaic modules, flexible sheets,building or window glass, automotive, and others.

According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a method forfabricating a copper indium diselenide semiconductor film. The methodincludes providing a plurality of substrates, each of the substrateshaving a copper and indium composite structure. The method also includestransferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of theplurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respectto a direction of gravity, the plurality of substrates being defined bya number N, where N is greater than 5. The method further includesintroducing a gaseous species including a selenide species and a carriergas into the furnace and transferring thermal energy into the furnace toincrease a temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature,the second temperature ranging from about 350° C. to about 450° C. to atleast initiate formation of a copper indium diselenide film from thecopper and indium composite structure on each of the substrates. Themethod additionally includes maintaining the temperature at about thesecond temperature for a period of time. The method also includesremoving at least the residual selenide species from the furnace. Themethod further includes introducing a sulfide species into the furnace.The method also includes increasing a temperature to a thirdtemperature, the third temperature ranging from about 500 to 525° C.while the plurality of substrates are maintained in an environmentincluding a sulfur species to extract out one or more selenium speciesfrom the copper indium diselenide film.

It is to be appreciated that the present invention provides numerousbenefits over conventional techniques. Among other things, the systemsand processes of the present invention are compatible with conventionalsystems, which allow cost effective implementation. In variousembodiments, the temperature control method maintains structureintegrity of substrates while providing allows various reactions tooccur. There are other benefits as well.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a transparent substrate with anoverlying electrode layer according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 2 and 2A are simplified diagram of a composite structure includinga copper and indium film according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram of a furnace according to an embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of a process for forming a copper indiumdiselenide layer according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5 and 5A are simplified diagrams of a temperature profile of thefurnace according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 6A and 6B are simplified diagrams of a thin film copper indiumdiselenide device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows exemplary furnace temperature profiles measured by in-situthermal couples according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows exemplary temperature profile set points at various zonesin a furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary furnace temperature profile and substratetemperature uniformity according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary cell open-circuit voltage distribution fromten substrates in a furnace according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to photovoltaic techniques. Moreparticularly, the present invention provides a method and structure fora thin film photovoltaic device using a copper indium diselenide species(CIS), copper indium gallium diselenide species (CIGS), and/or others.The invention can be applied to photovoltaic modules, flexible sheets,building or window glass, automotive, and others.

FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a transparent substrate with anoverlying electrode layer according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. This diagram is merely an example, which should not limit thescope of the claims herein. As shown, structure 100 includes atransparent substrate 104. In an embodiment, substrate 104 can be aglass substrate, for example, a soda lime glass. However, other types ofsubstrates can also be used. Examples of substrates include borosilicateglass, acrylic glass, sugar glass, specialty Corning™ glass, and others.As shown, a contact layer comprising a metal electrode layer 102 isdeposited upon substrate 104. According to an embodiment, the metalelectrode layer 102 comprises metal material that is characterized by apredetermined conductivity that is optimized for thin-film based solarcell applications. Depending on the application, the metal electrodelayer 102 may be deposited in various ways. For example, the metalelectrode layer 102 comprises primarily a film of molybdenum that isdeposited by sputtering. For example, the thickness of the electrodelayer 102 may range form 200 to 700 μm. A sputtering apparatus, such asa DC magnetron sputtering apparatus, can be used to deposit a thin filmof materials upon a substrate. Such apparatus is well known andcommercially available. But it is to be understood that other types ofequipments and/or processes, such as evaporation in vacuum basedenvironment may be used as well. As an example, the sputteringdeposition process is described below.

Sputter deposition is a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method ofdepositing thin films by sputtering, or ejecting, material from a“target”, or source, which then deposits onto a substrate, such as asilicon wafer or glass. Sputtered atoms ejected from the target have awide energy distribution, typically up to 10's of eV's (100000 K). Theentire range from high-energy ballistic impact to low-energy thermalizedmotion is accessible by changing the background gas pressure. Thesputtering gas is often an inert gas such as argon. For efficientmomentum transfer, the atomic weight of the sputtering gas should beclose to the atomic weight of the target, so for sputtering lightelements neon is preferable, while for heavy elements krypton or xenonare used. Reactive gases can also be used to sputter compounds. Thecompound can be formed on the target surface, in-flight or on thesubstrate depending on the process parameters. The availability of manyparameters that control sputter deposition make it a complex process,but also allow experts a large degree of control over the growth andmicrostructure of the film.

FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram of a composite structure including copperand indium material according to an embodiment of the present invention.This diagram is merely an example, which should not limit the scope ofthe claims herein. In this embodiment, structure 200 is includes a glasssubstrate 208, preferably soda lime glass, which is about 1 to 3millimeters thick. For example, the glass substrate 208 serves as asupporting layer. The metal layer 206 is deposited upon substrate 208.For example, the metal layer 206 serves as a metal electrode layer toprovide electrical contact. For example, the layer 206 comprisesprimarily a film of molybdenum which has been deposited by sputtering toa thickness of from 200 to 700 nm. In a specific embodiment, an initialfilm of chromium is first deposited upon glass 208. For example, thechromium is used to insure good adhesion of the overall structure to thesubstrate 208. Other types of material may also be used in a barrierlayer, such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, etc. Layers 204 and 202include primarily a copper layer and an indium layer deposited uponmetal layer 206 by a sputtering process. As shown in FIG. 2, the indiumlayer overlays the copper layer. But it is to be understood that otherarrangements are possible. In another embodiment, the copper layeroverlays the indium layer. As an example, a sputtering apparatus, suchas a DC magnetron sputtering apparatus, is used to deposit the thin film(e.g., layer 202, 204, and/or 206) of materials upon a substrate. It isto be appreciated that various types of sputtering apparatus may beused. Such apparatus is well known and commercially available. Othermaterial can also be used. It is to be appreciated that techniquesdescribed throughout the present application are flexible and that othertypes of equipments and/or processes, such as evaporation in vacuumbased environment may be used as well for depositing copper and indiummaterial. In certain embodiments, gallium material (not shown in FIG. 2)may be formed deposited in addition to the copper and indium material.According to an embodiment, the ratio between the copper andindium+gallium material is less than 1 (e.g., Cu/III<0.92˜0.96, here IIImeans group III); that is, less than one part of copper per one part ofindium material.

As an example, the structure 200 is formed by processing the structure100. For example, the Cu and In are deposited onto the structure 100 toform the structure 200. As described, sputtering process is used forforming the copper and/or indium layer. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 2, the Cu film and the In film are shown as two separate layers. Inanother embodiment, a Cu/In composite or Cu/In alloy is formed duringthe sputtering process, as shown in FIG. 2A. It is to be appreciatedthat techniques described throughout the present application areflexible and that other types of equipments and/or processes, such asevaporation in vacuum based environment may be used as well fordepositing copper and indium material. In certain embodiments, galliummaterial (not shown in FIG. 2) may be formed deposited in addition tothe copper and indium material

FIG. 2A is a simplified diagram of a composite structure 210 including acopper and indium composite film according to another embodiment of thepresent invention. This diagram is merely an example, which should notlimit the scope of the claims herein. As shown, the structure 210includes a transparent substrate 216. In an embodiment, substrate 216can be a glass substrate, for example, a soda lime glass. A back contactcomprises a metal electrode layer 214 is deposited upon substrate 216.For example, the layer 214 comprises primarily a film of molybdenummaterial is deposited by sputtering. In a specific embodiment, aninitial film of chromium is deposited upon glass 216 before depositingthe molybdenum material to provide for good adhesion of the overallstructure to the substrate 210. The layer 212 comprises primarily acopper (and gallium) indium alloy or copper (gallium) indium compositematerial. For example, the mixing or alloying of copper indium resultsin an improved homogeneity or advantageous morphology of the compositecopper and indium film. This improved structure is carried over into thedesired CIS film after the selenization step. According to anembodiment, a copper (or CuGa alloy) indium alloy material is formedfrom separate layers of copper (or CuGa alloy) material and indiummaterial, which diffuse into each layer. For example, the process offorming of copper indium (or CuInGa) alloy material is performed bysubjecting the structure to a high temperature annealing in anenvironment containing gaseous selenium species.

FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram of a furnace according to an embodimentof the present invention. This diagram is merely an example, whichshould not limit the scope of the claims herein. As shown, a furnace 300includes a process chamber 302 and an end cap 304. According to anembodiment, the reaction chamber 302 is characterized by a volume ofmore than 200 liters. As shown in FIG. 3, the furnace 300 includes avacuum-pumping machine that comprises a turbo molecular pump 310 and arotary pump 312. Depending on the application, the vacuum-pumpingmachine can be implemented by way of a combination of a mechanicalbooster pump and a dry pump. For example, the raw material gas and/or adiluting gas such as helium, nitrogen, argon, or hydrogen can beintroduced in process chamber 302 via a gas injection pipe 314, ifdemanded by the specific applications and/or processes. The chamber 302is evacuated by the turbo molecular pump 310 via the rotary pump 312that is connected with a manifold 316 via a gate valve and a conductancevalve 318. For example, there are no special partitions in the manifoldor in the reaction furnaces. A heating element 306 is mounted outsidethe reaction chamber 302.

In a specific embodiment, the end cap 304 of the chamber is a lid withembedded temperature control elements. For example, the lid is builtwith lamps for generating heat and cooling water pipes for actualtemperature control. The lid also includes quartz baffles (not shown)that serves an element for controlling exchange of heat and mass (gases)between a main spatial region of the chamber 302 and a spatial regionsurrounding the lid. By controlling the lid temperature through theembedded elements and heat/mass flow through the baffles, the reactivechemistry in the main spatial region of the chamber, where thesubstrates with copper indium gallium composite film are loaded, isunder controlled.

The furnace 300 can be used for many applications. According to anembodiment, the furnace 300 is used to apply thermal energy to varioustypes of substrates and to introduce various types of gaseous species,among others. In an embodiment, one or more glass plates or substratesare positioned vertically near the center of chamber 302. As an example,substrates 308 can be similar to those described in FIGS. 2 and 2A(e.g., Cu/In layers or composite Cu/In layer overlying a metal contactlayer on a substrate). These layers placed in the process chamber in thepresence of a gas containing selenium, such as hydrogen selenide H₂Se.After annealing the material for a given period of time, the copper,indium and selenium interdiffuse and react to form a high quality copperindium diselenide (CIS) film.

FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of a process for forming a copper indiumdiselenide layer according to an embodiment of the present invention.This diagram is merely an example, which should not limit the scope ofthe claims herein. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize manyother variations, modifications, and alternatives. It is also understoodthat the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrativepurposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereofwill be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be includedwithin the spirit and purview of this process and scope of the appendedclaims.

As shown in FIG. 4, the present method can be briefly outlined below.

-   -   1. Start;    -   2. Provide a plurality of substrates having a copper and indium        composite structure    -   3. Introduce a gaseous species including a selenide species and        a carrier gas into the furnace;    -   4. Transfer thermal energy into the furnace to increase a        temperature from a first temperature to a second temperature;    -   5. Maintain the temperature at about the second temperature for        a period of time;    -   6. Remove at least the residual selenide species from the        furnace;    -   7. Form vacuum in the process chamber;    -   8. Introduce a sulfide species into the furnace while;    -   9. Increasing the temperature to a third temperature;    -   10. Maintain the temperature at about the third temperature for        a period of time;    -   11. Ramp down the temperature from the third temperature to        about the first temperature;    -   12. Remove gas; and    -   13. Stop.

These steps are merely examples and should not limit the scope of theclaims herein. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize manyother variations, modifications, and alternatives. For example, varioussteps outlined above may be added, removed, modified, rearranged,repeated, and/or overlapped, as contemplated within the scope of theinvention. As shown, the method 400 begins at start, step 402. Here, theuser of the method begins at a process chamber, such as the one notedabove, as well as others. The process chamber can be maintained at aboutroom temperature before proceeding with the present method. But theprocess chamber can start temperature ramping from a temperature higherthan room temperature, such as 100° C.

A plurality of substrates is transferred into the process chamber, step402. Each of the plurality of substrates can be provided in a verticalorientation with respect to gravity. The plurality of substrates can bedefined by a number N, where N is greater than 5. The plurality ofsubstrates can comprise 5 or more individual substrates. In anotherembodiment, the plurality of substrates can comprise 40 or moreindividual substrates. For example, each substrate can have a dimensionof 65 cm×165 cm or smaller. But it is understood that other dimensionsare possible. Each of the substrates is maintained in substantially aplanar configuration free from warp or damage. For example, if thesubstrates were provided in an orientation other than vertical withrespect to gravity, the gravitational force could cause the substratesto sag and warp unless they are placed on a supporting structure such asshelves. This occurs when the substrate material reaches a softeningtemperature, compromising the structural integrity of the substrate.Typically, glass substrates, particular soda lime glass substrates,begin to soften at 480° C. In an embodiment, the substrates are alsoseparate from one another according to a predetermined spacing to ensureeven heating and reactions with gaseous species that are to beintroduced to the furnace.

After the substrates are positioned into the process chamber, gaseousspecies, including a selenide species, and/or a carrier gas, areintroduced into the process chamber in step 406. In an embodiment, thegaseous species includes at least H₂Se and nitrogen. In anotherembodiment, the gaseous species other types of chemically inert gas,such as helium, argon, etc. For example, the substrates are placed inthe presence of a gas containing selenium, such as H₂Se.

The furnace is then heated up to a second temperature ranging from about350° C. to 450° C. in step 408. The transfer of thermal energy for thepurpose of heating the process chamber can be done by heating elements,heating coils, and the like. For example, step 408, among other things,at least starts the formation of a copper indium diselenide film byreactions between the gaseous species and the copper and indiumcomposite (or layered) structure on each of the substrates. In aspecific embodiment, separate layers of copper and indium material arediffused into each other to corm a single layer of copper indium alloymaterial. The second temperature is maintained for 10 to 90 minutes atthe heat treatment interval between 350° C. and 450° C., step 410. Inanother embodiment, the second temperature range can be from 390° C. to410° C. For example, the period of time for maintaining the temperatureat step 410 is provided to allow formation of the CIS film material. Asthe temperature increases, the pressure inside the furnace may increaseas well. In a specific embodiment, a pressure release valve is used tokeep the pressure within the furnace at approximately 650 torr.

As the temperature is maintained at the second temperature (step 410) orat least when the temperature above certain threshold, the removal ofthe residual selenide species begins, in step 412. A vacuum is formed inthe process chamber through a vacuum pump, in step 414. Once the vacuumis created in the process chamber (step 414), a sulfide species isintroduced, in step 416. In a specific embodiment, the residual selenideremoval process may continue until the process chamber is in vacuumconfiguration. After the gas ambience in the furnace has been changedsuch that the residual selenide species is removed and the sulfidespecies is introduced, a second temperature ramp up process isinitiated, step 418. But, an optional step may include waiting beforethe temperature is ramped up to allow the temperature uniformity toimprove for all substrates in the main spatial region of the chamber. Ina specific embodiment, the sulfide species is introduced with nitrogen,which functions as a carrier gas occupying approximately 70 to 75% offurnace. The temperature of the furnace is increased to a thirdtemperature ranging from about 500° C. to 525° C. For example, the thirdtemperature is calibrated for reaction between the sulfide species andthe substrates in furnace.

At step 420, temperature is maintained at the third temperature for aperiod of time until the formation of the copper indium diselenide CIS(or CIGS if gallium is included) layer is completed. The step is set upfor the purpose of extracting out one or more selenium species from thecopper indium diselenide film in the ambient of the furnace comprisingthe sulfur species. It is to be appreciated that a predetermined amountof selenium are removed. In a specific embodiment, approximately 5% ofthe selenium is removed from the CIS film and is replaced by about 5% ofsulfur. According to an embodiment, a complete reaction between theselenium with the CIS film is desired. After the removal of residualselenium, a controlled temperature ramp down process is initiated, instep 422. The furnace is cooled to the first temperature of about roomtemperature, and the remaining gaseous species are removed from thefurnace, in step 424. For example, the gaseous species are removed by avacuum pumping machine. The temperature sequence described above can beillustrated in the temperature profile in FIG. 5.

After step 420, additional steps may be performed depending on thedesired end product. For example, if a CIS or CIGS type of thin-filmsolar cell is desired, additional processes are provided to provideadditional structures, such as a transparent layer of material such asZnO overlaying the CIS layer.

It is also understood that the examples and embodiments described hereinare for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications orchanges in light thereof will be suggest to persons skilled in the artand are to be included within the spirit and purview of this applicationand scope of the appended claims.

FIG. 5 is a simplified diagram of a temperature profile of the furnaceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. This diagram ismerely an example, which should not limit the scope of the claimsherein. The temperature profile further details the temperature rampingprocess in the above-described method outline (FIG. 4) andspecification. An optimized temperature profile (FIG. 5) is provided toillustrate a heating process according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. In an embodiment, the process chamber is configured toinclude independently controlled temperature zones with heater elementsproperly disposed near the corresponding zones. This enables thederivation of the optimized temperature profile. The optimized profileregulates the process chamber in order to prevent the warping of largesubstrates at high temperatures. If the temperature is ramped up toohigh too quickly, warping or damage may occur due to the softening ofglass. In addition, the total amount of thermal energy is determined inconsideration of total thermal budget available to the substrates and tomaintain the uniformity and structure integrity of the glass substrate.For example, by periodically controlling the temperature of the heatingprocess in steps, the substrate stays at a level of stabilization andrelaxing in which the requisite structure integrity is maintained. Asexplained above, material such as glass tends to deform at a temperatureof 480° C. or higher, and thus caution is exercised to avoid prolongexposure of substrate at high temperatures. Referring to FIG. 5, whilethe ambience of a process chamber is maintained with a gaseous speciesincluding a selenide species and a carrier gas, a plurality ofsubstrates is put into the furnace. The plurality of substrates isprovided in a vertical orientation with respect to a direction ofgravity, with the plurality of substrates being defined by a number N,where N is greater than 5. In certain implementation, the number N isgreater than 40. In an embodiment, the substrates include glasssubstrates, such as soda lime glass. The furnace starts the process witha first temperature of about 30° C. (i.e., around room temperature). Thefurnace of course can start with a higher temperature, such as 100° C.The furnace is then heated up to a second temperature ranging from about350° C. to 450° C.

The second temperature is maintained for 10 to 90 minutes at the heattreatment interval between 350° C. to 450° C. The size of glasssubstrate can be 65 cm×165 cm or smaller. A challenge in processinglarge substrate is the warping of the substrate at high temperatures. Ifthe temperature is ramped up directly to T3, warping or damage mayoccur. In an embodiment, all substrates are loaded in a substrate holderor boat that sets them in substantially a planar configuration free ofwarp or damage. In an example, each substrate is disposed in the boat insubstantially vertical direction relative to gravity and has apredetermined spacing from its nearest neighbor. As shown in FIG. 5, theslope of ramping up from T2 to T3 is calibrated to reduce and/oreliminate the risk of damaging the substrate. By maintaining thetemperature in the process chamber at T2 for a period of time, thesubstrate can relax and stabilize. The maintaining time at this intervalis set up according to the purpose of at least initiating formation ofthe copper indium diselenide film from the copper and indium compositestructure on each of the substrates.

While the second temperature is maintained, the ambient of the furnaceis changed such that the selenide species is removed and a sulfidespecies is introduced.

After the gas ambient in the furnace has been changed such that theselenide species is removed and the sulfide species is introduced, asecond temperature ramp up process is initiated. There can be a delay inthe ramp of furnace temperature in order to improve substratetemperature uniformity. Then, the temperature of the furnace isincreased to a third temperature ranging from about 500° C. to 525° C.

After the temperature ramp-up process, the temperature of the furnace ismaintained for 10 to 60 minutes at the heat treatment interval between500° C. and 525° C. The time interval with the temperature in a plateauin an ambient comprising a sulfur species, e.g., hydrogen sulfide gas,is set up for the purpose of extracting out one or more selenium speciesfrom the copper indium diselenide film. In particular, the residualselenide species can be thermally cranked or decomposed to elementalselenium particles, which can be carried away by a convective currentfrom relative hot main spatial region of the chamber to a relative coldregion such as the end cap region. Additionally, an exchange reactionoccurs to replace sulfur species for the selenium species in the filmoverlying the substrate. As explained above, a predetermined amount(e.g., 5 to 10%) of selenium can be extracted to provide a proper amountof selenium concentration within the CIS film.

After partial replacement of selenium by sulfur, a controlledtemperature ramp-down process is initiated, as the furnace is thencooled to the first temperature of about room temperature. According toan embodiment, the cooling process is specifically calibrated. As aresult of this process, the copper, indium, and selenium interdiffuseand react to form a high quality copper indium diselenide film.

FIG. 5A is a simplified diagram of a temperature profile of the furnaceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. This diagram ismerely an example, which should not limit the scope of the claimsherein. The temperature profile further details the temperature rampingprocess in the above-described method outline (FIG. 4) andspecification. An optimized temperature profile (FIG. 5A) is provided toillustrate a heating process according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 5A, T1 is approximately set at room temperature. But itcan be set as high as 100° C. At this temperature, substrates are loadedinto a furnace. Air is pumped out (e.g., by vacuum device) from thefurnace, and H₂Se and N₂ gas species are introduced into the furnace.For example, these gas species are introduced to the furnace so that atpressure of approximate 650 torr is reached.

Next temperature increases from T1 to T2 inside the furnace. Forexample, the rate of temperature ramping up is optimized to allow therelative uniform reaction between selenium and copper and indium (andpossibly with addition of gallium). According to embodiments, the T2temperature is approximately between 350° C. and 450° C. For example,the furnace stays at the T2 temperature for about 10 to 60 minutes. Thetime staying at the T2 temperature is to allow for reaction betweenselenium and copper indium material. In a specific embodiment, separatelayers of copper and indium material form copper indium alloy whilereacting with selenium material. As shown, CIS and/or CIGS material isformed at T2. During the temperature ramping up process, the pressureinside the furnace is controlled to sustain a relative uniform pressurelevel of approximate 650 torr. For example, a gas escape valve is usedto release gases when the furnace heat up, where pressure increases dueto gas expansion at high temperature.

After the CIS or CIGS material formed, various gaseous species are againpumped out from the furnace. Then, the sulfide gas along with certaininert gases (e.g., nitrogen, argon, helium, etc.) is introduced to thefurnace, and the temperature inside the furnace increases from T2 to T3.However, there can be an optional time delay in the ramp of furnacetemperature in order to improve substrate temperature uniformity. Forexample, T3 is approximately 500° C. to 550° C. In a specificembodiment, the temperature stays at T3 to allow the sulfide gas tointeract with the CIGS and/or CIS material. For example, the sulfurreplaces approximately 3 to 10% of the selenium material from the CIGSand/or CIS material. After the reaction, the furnace is cools down inthe ambient of sulfide gas which is removed at last.

FIG. 7 shows exemplary furnace temperature profiles measured by in-situthermal couples according to an embodiment of the present invention.This diagram is merely an example, which should not limit the scope ofthe claims herein. As shown, a large furnace is chosen to be the processchamber where a plurality of substrates has been loaded. Temperaturesensors are pre-installed for monitoring all substrates on bottom,middle, and top regions. FIG. 7 just shows the measured temperatureprofile during an actual processing run. It schematically illustratesrealization of the temperature profile preset in FIG. 5 or FIG. 5A. Ofcourse there can be many variations, modifications, and alternatives.

In an embodiment, the furnace temperature profile, as seen in FIG. 7, iscontrolled by adjusting the heaters surrounding the process chamber.Additionally, depending on the internal structural design and substrateconfiguration when loaded in the substrate holder or boat, thetemperature distribution may not be plainly uniform. In fact, severaltemperature zones can be identified through an experiment. Therefore,the temperature profile set point for corresponding zones can beseparately controlled in order to achieve an actual temperature profilewith improved uniformity. FIG. 8 just shows exemplary temperatureprofile set points at various zones in a furnace according to anembodiment of the present invention.

For achieving desired cell performance for such large sized substrate(65 cm×165 cm), controlling the process with improved temperatureuniformity is very important. As mentioned above, identifying varioustemperature zones in the furnace for setting independent temperaturecontrol is one method. Other methods of improving temperature uniformityinclude designing proper internal structural arrangement and substrateloading configuration. For example, adding certain baffles inside thefurnace inner surface can partially isolate main processing zone forachieving better temperature uniformity and controlling the internalconvective flow. Adding temperature control elements to an end cap (orlid) so that it can act as a “cryopump” inside the process chamber forreduce contamination and enhance chemistry control of the reactiveannealing of the film on substrate. FIG. 9 shows exemplary furnacetemperature profile and substrate temperature uniformity according to anembodiment of the present invention. This diagram is merely an example,which should not limit the scope of the claims herein. As shown, thetemperature uniformity, described by a temperature difference frombottom to top of the substrate, can be substantially improved by addingcertain structural baffle to the furnace internal surface and adjustingthe substrate position in the substrate loading boat. Of course, therecan be many variations, modifications, and alternatives.

FIG. 6 is a simplified diagram of a thin film copper indium diselenidedevice according to an embodiment of the present invention. This diagramis merely an example, which should not limit the scope of the claimsherein. As shown, structure 600 is supported on a glass substrate 610.According to an embodiment, the glass substrate comprises soda limeglass, which is about 1 to 3 millimeters thick. A back contact includinga metal layer 608 is deposited upon substrate 610. According to anembodiment, layer 608 comprises primarily a film of molybdenum which hasbeen deposited by sputtering. The first active region of the structure600 comprises a semiconductor layer 606. In an embodiment, thesemiconductor layer includes p-type copper indium diselenide (CIS)material. It is to be understood that other the semiconductor layer mayinclude other types of material, such as CIGS, as shown. The secondactive portion of the structure 600 comprises layers 604 and 602 ofn-type semiconductor material, such as CdS or ZnO. For example, in solarcell applications, the CdS and/or ZnO layers function as a winderlayers. In FIG. 6, ZnO is shown overlaying the CdS layer. However, itshould be understood that other variations are possible. In analternative embodiments, the ZnO layer 602 overlays another ZnO layerthat is characterized by a different resistivity.

A photovoltaic cell, or solar cell, such as device 600 described above,is configured as a large-area p-n junction. When photons in sunlight hitthe photovoltaic cell, the photons may be reflected, pass through thetransparent electrode layer, or become absorbed. The semiconductor layerabsorbs the energy causing electron-hole pairs to be created. A photonneeds to have greater energy than that of the band gap in order toexcite an electron from the valence band into the conduction band. Thisallows the electrons to flow through the material to produce a current.The complementary positive charges, or holes, flow in the directionopposite of the electrons in a photovoltaic cell. A solar panel havingmany photovoltaic cells can convert solar energy into direct currentelectricity.

Semiconductors based on the copper indium diselenide (CIS) configurationare especially attractive for thin film solar cell application becauseof their high optical absorption coefficients and versatile optical andelectrical characteristics. These characteristics can in principle bemanipulated and tuned for a specific need in a given device. Seleniumallows for better uniformity across the layer and so the number ofrecombination sites in the film are reduced which benefits the quantumefficiency and thus the conversion efficiency.

The present invention provides methods for making CIS-based and/orCIGS-based solar cells on a large glass substrate for a solar panel. Thedevice structure described in FIG. 6 can be patterned into individualsolar cells on the glass substrate and interconnected to form the solarpanel. The present invention thus provides a cost-effective method formaking thin film solar cell panel.

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary cell open-circuit voltage distribution fromten substrates in a furnace according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. This diagram is merely an example, which should not limit thescope of the claims herein. As shown, 10 soda lime glass substrates havebeen loaded into a furnace described before and been carried out aseries of large scale selenization and sufurization processes forforming a CIS based photovoltaic absorber film. As the results,eventually the photovoltaic cells made from these films are tested ontheir IV characteristics. A key parameter, cell open-circuit voltagesVoc, is measured around 0.5 V for cells made from those films out of the10 substrates. FIG. 10 just shows that the Voc value distribution hasachieved desired uniformity across all substrates in this large scaleproduction process.

It will be appreciated that all of the benefits of the present inventioncan be achieved regardless of the order of deposition of the copper andindium films. That is, the indium could be deposited first or the filmscould be deposited as a sandwich or stack of thinner layers.

It is also understood that the examples and embodiments described hereinare for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications orchanges in light thereof will be suggest to persons skilled in the artand are to be included within the spirit and purview of this applicationand scope of the appended claims. Although the above has been generallydescribed in terms of a specific structure for CIS and/or CIGS thin filmcells, other specific CIS and/or CIGS configurations can also be used,such as those noted in issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,611,091 and No.4,612,411, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein, withoutdeparting from the invention described by the claims herein.

1. A method for fabricating a thin film photo-voltaic solar energycollector film comprising: providing a plurality of substrates, each ofthe substrates having a copper and indium composite structure;transferring the plurality of substrates into a furnace, each of theplurality of substrates provided in a vertical orientation with respectto a direction of gravity, the plurality of substrates being defined bya number N, wherein N is greater than 5; introducing a gaseous speciesincluding a selenide species and a carrier gas into the furnace andtransferring thermal energy into the furnace to increase a temperaturefrom a first temperature to a second temperature, the second temperatureranging from about 350° C. to about 450° C. to at least initiateformation of a copper indium diselenide film from the copper and indiumcomposite structure on each of the substrates; maintaining thetemperature at about the second temperature for a period of time;removing at least residual selenide species from the furnace;introducing a sulfide species into the furnace; and increasing atemperature to a third temperature, the third temperature ranging fromabout 500 to 525° C. while the plurality of substrates are maintained inan environment including a sulfur species to extract out one or moreselenium species from the copper indium diselenide film; wherein each ofthe substrates loaded in the furnace has its temperature independentlymonitored.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper and indiumcomposite structure comprises a copper layer and an indium layer ofmaterial.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein a first amount of theselenium is replaced by a second amount of sulfur at the copper indiumdiselenide film.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first amount isabout 5%.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the copper and indiumcomposites structure forms a copper indium alloy material in thefurnaces.
 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising a gallium layer.7. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a substantiallyconstant pressure of between 600 torr and 700 torr within the furnace.8. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrates are stabilized duringthe period of time.
 9. The method of claim 1 further comprisingsputtering the copper material on the substrates.
 10. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising evaporating the copper material on thesubstrates.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the second temperatureranges from about 390° C. to about 410° C.
 12. The method of claim 1wherein the first temperature ranges from room temperature to about 100°C.
 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the second temperature ismaintained for about 10 to 60 minutes.
 14. The method of claim 1 whereinthe selenide species comprises H₂Se gas.
 15. The method of claim 1wherein the carrier gas comprises nitrogen gas.
 16. The method of claim1 wherein the sulfide species comprise H₂S gas.
 17. The method of claim1 wherein each of the plurality of substrates is separated by apredetermined distance.
 18. The method of claim 1 wherein the furnacecomprises one or more baffles.
 19. The method of claim 1 wherein thesubstrates further comprises gallium material.
 20. The method of claim 1wherein the copper and indium composite structure comprises a layer ofcopper material and a layer of indium material.